


Sing Me a Story

by Crystalshard



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Explosions, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalshard/pseuds/Crystalshard
Summary: Boil dances, Fives uses his ARC training, and Tup makes two new friends.Four ficlets in the lives of some of our favourite characters in the GAR.
Relationships: CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-5385 | Tup, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 16
Kudos: 21





	1. Dancing Shoes

**Author's Note:**

> These were all written thanks to Tumblr prompts and inspired by semi-random jumps through my MP3 collection. 
> 
> For those waiting for the next chapter of Row for the Shore - I promise I'm still working on it!

Anaïs Mitchell - **The Song They Sang When Rome Fell** \- _Put on your rock and roll shoes and come on/ Yeah, come on_

The drumbeats thrummed through Boil's feet, the pipes and strings of the band reeling wild patterns through the flower-scented night air. He couldn't remember the name of the planet they were on, or that of the native species, but the inhabitants of the village they'd saved didn't seem to care. 

Boil's partner smiled up at him, their finely-scaled face reflecting red in the firelight as they pulled him through the simple steps of the dance. The pair whirled as the onlookers clapped in unison, his brothers and the villagers keeping time together for those in the dance circle. Behind him, around him, others swung through the figures. Waxer's laugh in his ears, Cody focusing hard on the steps, even the General keeping time with his pointy-eared partner as if he'd been born knowing the dance. 

Boil's cheeks hurt. It took him a few moments to work out why, and only seeing Hazard spin past gave him the hint. 

He was smiling.


	2. Stumble, Don't Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst in this one.

Dragonforce - **Cry for Eternity** \- _See now the fallen will live again/ They feel the pain burn inside of them_

The shinies marched off the transport in perfect time, boots thunking off the ramp and onto the flat surface of the Coruscant hangar. Fives frowned, half-turning to make a comment to Echo. 

The comment died in his throat as he remembered that Echo wasn't beside him anymore. That these new troopers, squad after squad of them, were there to replace their losses from Lola Sayu, from Sullust, from every battle that had stolen his brothers and sent them marching far away. 

Fives barely paid attention to Rex's introductory briefing. He'd heard it more often that he'd wanted to, standing there as an example of what a Trooper could be if they pushed hard enough. 

Even ARCs can end up dead. 

The chorus of "Sir, yes sir!" pulled Fives back to the here and now, and he watched as Rex dismissed the shinies to various officers to have their bunks allocated. Good. That meant that he was no longer required. 

Turning, Fives felt a shove to his shoulder, and he whipped back around in time to catch the clumsy shiny who'd just run into him. "Whoa, easy there, trooper. You nearly tripped up." 

"Tup," the shiny said wonderingly. "I like that. Uh, sorry sir!" 

Fives felt a faint smile pull at his lips as he settled the newly-named Tup back on his feet. "Watch where you're going okay, kid? After all . . . you nearly tripped, Tup."


	3. Explosions: Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separatists go boom.

Gary Allan - **Like It’s A Bad Thing** \- _They say I’m out on the edge/ I’m too willing to risk/ Every bone, every breath_

"I'll do it, sir." 

Rex tilted his helmet at Fives, the pounding rain sending constant streams down his helmet. "You sure, Fives? There's no guarantee you'll come back from this one." 

"I'm an ARC trooper, sir." Fives kept his voice steady through the drumming of water on plastoid. "You know what I'm capable of. If anyone can make it to the target and get the job done, it's me." 

Rex exhaled, quietly enough that his vocoder didn't pick it up, but Fives could see the shift in the captain's breastplate. "All right. Send us a signal when you're ready for us to move in." 

Fives lifted his gaze to the Separatist base in the distance, then grinned. "Yes, sir." 

Two hours later, Fives watched in satisfaction as the Separatists' ammo dump blew itself into a spectacular ball of fire and ash. That should be enough of a signal for Rex.


	4. Expedited Shipping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tup makes a new friend.

AC/DC - **You Shook Me All Night Long** \- _She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean/ She was the best damn woman that I ever seen_

Tup frowned at the lading slip in his hand and compared it against the coffin-sized crate in front of him. "Sir?" he said into his helmet comm. "This one's marked as mission supplies from the Jedi Temple."

From across the hangar, Tup's lieutenant gave him a harried look as he directed ration crates to the ship's galley. "It's probably something for the General. Open it up, check it over, and send it where it needs to go - no, not all of them, how much flour do you think they need?" 

Tup disconnected with a quick "Yes, sir," then hesitantly reached for the crate's lid. Biting his lip, he flipped it open. 

Blue optical sensors powered on, lending an odd sheen to the Open Circle Fleet symbol on the protocol droid's chest. 

"What the -!"

The protocol droid sat up abruptly, revealing dark silver plating in the unforgiving lights of the cargo bay. "Greetings. I am TC-347." They tilted their head, glowing eyes fixed directly on Tup. "Master Windu has assigned me to the 501st Legion as their translator for their next mission." 

Tup chuckled awkwardly. "Well, we're the 501st, so I guess you're in the right place." 

"Oh, that's a relief." Their voice carried a note of humor that Tup hadn't expected from a droid, and something about it subconsciously relaxed him. "With shipping the way it is these days, I could have ended up in Hutt space instead of here." 

Tup snorted. "Yeah, or worse, shipped to the Separatists. You need a hand to get out of that box?" 

"Yes, thank you." TC-347 put their fingers in his, and Tup helped them up. "May I ask your name?" 

"Oh! Sorry. Uh, it's CT-5385. Everyone calls me Tup. Come on, you should probably report to General Skywalker." 

TC-347 followed him agreeably out of the cargo bay. "Tup. I am pleased to meet you. May I ask if you have preferred pronouns?" 

Did he -? "Uh, he/him, I guess?" 

"Thank you. Mine are she/her." 

"Okay. Ah, thanks for telling me, Teecee." It was a good thing he had his helmet on; it would cover up the inexplicable heat Tup could feel on his cheeks. "You move really smoothly for a protocol droid - I mean, Threepio always totters along, but you take long steps, and . . ." 

After a pause to see if he would continue, TC-347's soft voice rescued him. "My servos been modified for battle conditions. The Jedi believed I would have a better chance of surviving if I could run . . ."


End file.
